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Published on: September 20, 2018
Prenatal phthalate exposure and fetal penile length and width
Nicole B Salvi1, Akhgar Ghassabian2,3,4, Sara G Brubaker5
1Department of Pediatrics, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
Insights
This study found no significant link between prenatal phthalate exposure and fetal penile size. Further research is needed to understand potential impacts on male genital development.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Reproductive Toxicology
- Pediatric Endocrinology
Background:
- Phthalates are endocrine-disrupting chemicals known for anti-androgenic effects.
- Previous studies suggest links between prenatal phthalate exposure and infant genitalia.
- This research specifically examines fetal penile development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between prenatal phthalate exposure and fetal penile measurements.
- To determine if increased exposure correlates with decreased penile length or width in male fetuses.
- To contribute to the understanding of environmental impacts on male fetal development.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the New York University Children's Health and Environment Study (2016-2019).
- Measured maternal urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations in early pregnancy (n=334).
- Retrospectively assessed fetal penile length and width via ultrasound (n=173) between 18-24 weeks gestation.
Main Results:
- No clinically significant associations were found between maternal phthalate metabolite levels and fetal penile length or width.
- While inverse relationships were noted for specific phthalates (mono-ethyl phthalate, mono-(7-carboxy-n-heptyl) phthalate), they were not statistically significant after multiple comparison correction.
- The study cohort included diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds, with a majority being Hispanic.
Conclusions:
- No clinically meaningful associations were observed between first-trimester phthalate exposure and fetal penile dimensions in this cohort.
- The findings suggest that early pregnancy phthalate exposure may not significantly impact fetal penile length or width.
- Further research is warranted to fully elucidate the relationship between prenatal phthalate exposure and male genital development.
Background:
Phthalates are endocrine-disrupting chemicals with anti-androgenic qualities and studies reported associations between prenatal phthalate exposure and infant genitalia. This study investigated whether increased prenatal phthalate exposure is associated with decreased fetal penile measures.
Methods:
Data was from the New York University Children's Health and Environment Study (2016-2019). Maternal urinary concentrations of 16 phthalate metabolites were quantified at <18 weeks gestation as a proxy for fetal exposure (n = 334 male pregnancies). We retrospectively measured penile length and width using ultrasounds conducted 18-24 weeks gestation (n = 173 fetuses). Associations of maternal urinary levels of phthalates with fetal penile length and width were determined using linear regression models.
Results:
57.2% of women were Hispanic, 31.8% Non-Hispanic White, 6.4% Asian, 2.3% Non-Hispanic Black, and 2.3% multiple races. Mean maternal age was 32 years (standard deviation [SD] = 5.7). Mean penile length was 7.13 mm (SD = 1.47) and width was 6.16 mm (SD = 0.87). An inverse relationship was observed between maternal levels of mono-ethyl phthalate and fetal penile length, and mono-(7-carboxy-n-heptyl) phthalate and penile width, though estimates were small and not significant when considering correction for multiple comparisons.
Conclusions:
In our cohort we found no clinically meaningful associations between early pregnancy phthalate exposure and fetal penile length or width.
Impact:
First-trimester phthalate metabolites were assessed in pregnant women in New York City. Penile length and width were retrospectively measured on clinically assessed ultrasounds conducted ≥18 weeks and <24 weeks of gestation. In this cohort, no clinically meaningful associations were observed between first-trimester prenatal phthalate exposure and fetal penile length. This study contributes to the limited but growing research on the impact of prenatal phthalate exposure on male fetal genital development. The results emphasize that there may not be a clear association between prenatal phthalate exposure and fetal penile length and width, and further research on this topic may be required.
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